Our history

The Copacabana Community Association (CCA) first mooted the idea of a men’s shed about 2006. An attempt was made to establish one in December 2010, but CCA was unsuccessful in obtaining development consent.

In 2017, the idea was taken up again after a survey of residents found that there was still strong support in the community. A year later, the CCA founded the independent Copacabana Community Men’s Shed Incorporated (CCMS) and charged it with realising the dream.

After many delays in obtaining the requisite finance and permissions, construction started in November 2021 and an Occupation Certificate was obtained in December 2022. After an internal fit-out, much of it done by shed members, the shed was finally opened by the Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast, Adam Crouch, in March 2023. You can find several photographs and reports on the News page and in the Newsletter archive.

Financial support for the project came from many quarters:

• A seeding grant from the NSW Minister for Mental Health in 2018
• A large grant from the competitive NSW My Community Project scheme in 2019
• A large NSW Infrastructure grant in 2021
• Several smaller grants from various Federal Government grant schemes, including the Volunteer Grants scheme, the Stronger Communities Program and the National Shed Development Program
• Generous sponsorship from several local businesses and a huge community response to our GoFundMe campaign

A full list of contributors is inscribed on our Honour Board.